Best race car video game/console?

[Bimmerman325i]

Hands down the best racing SIM to date is GTR2 with the Logitech G25 race wheel. Dual motor force feedback with a clutch and a 6 speed shifter w/ reverse. CANT BEAT THAT. e30 m3...Lamborghini Murc R-GT, 550 Maranello.

/nerdiness

I have this setup, and can attest to the awesomeness. The bonus of the wheel is that you can use it with the large variety of PC racing games, from GTR to the far less hardcore.

Plus, the wheel works with PS2 and PS3 games, but there isn't really a GTR-esqe sim for either.

[SamE30e]

LFS with a the crazy ass logitech G5 and a big fuckin monitor.

Forza 2 for 360

[Hallen]

LFS is by far the best for actually simulating the physics of cars. I have tried all the other big name systems and LFS is simply better. Online racing with it is great. Pickup races are easy to join and the leagues that are setup are awesome. I have run a number of 24 hour races with a team and it is a ton of fun. There is plenty of room for improvement in LFS and development is slow. That is probably its biggest detractor. LFS does not require a major gaming computer to play it. It will work well on most modern systems with a decent graphics card.

rFactor is great if you go for the bling. It has many redeeming features as well, but it's main draw is that it is very moddable and there are tons of cars and tracks to try out. It is fun. But, so many of the cars especially are just total crap. The physics engine also has some serious flaws in its physics modeling so it makes it less interesting to me. rFactor also requires a pretty beefy machine to have it run and look good. Whoever said that it (or was it GTR... either way) ran smooth down below 30fps is smoking something pretty strong. I can see flickers and stuttering anytime a game gets below 40fps. To be really smooth, it should be at least 60fps. Doing that with rFactor requires a very massively built game machine or it requires turning off all the nicer graphics settings.

iRacing is OK, but is very draconian in its subscription fees and its online play. You can't race offline against the computer at all. You are restricted in the cars and tracks you can use off line without paying a lot more money. You can't race online with cars you own unless you have the proper "rating". The physics seem OK, but do suffer from some strangeness in certain areas, and the normal predictability of "canned" reactions in others. I would rank the physics of iRacing a tad better than rFactor, but not much. It is about the same level as rFactor for its computer needs.

[Tree18is]

xbox 360. forza 1 and 2, and if you dont like it.
fuck you.

[ThePotsy]

G25 won't work with the 360, this will though, and it's better than the G25.

Compatible with the 360, PS3, and the PC. The 360 wheel is kind of lame, really small turning radius, nicest wheel other than the Fanatec though

Then pick up Racepro when it comes out in February. Grid is also pretty bad ass, just picked it up the other day.

[kishg]

iRacing is OK, but is very draconian in its subscription fees and its online play. You can't race offline against the computer at all. You are restricted in the cars and tracks you can use off line without paying a lot more money. You can't race online with cars you own unless you have the proper "rating". The physics seem OK, but do suffer from some strangeness in certain areas, and the normal predictability of "canned" reactions in others. I would rank the physics of iRacing a tad better than rFactor, but not much. It is about the same level as rFactor for its computer needs.

you can practice offline as much as you want with the content you purchased but there's no AI to "race" with. iracing is more of a simulation than a game. where it simply outshines every other sim is in the accuracy and realism of the tracks. they 3d laser scan every track. i've driven quite a few of the east coast tracks it has and the accuracy is amazing. far better than rfactor. As for rating, as much as a pita that is, it's what keeps the place from being a free for all. The safer you drive, the more license levels you will get and be eligible to participate in more series.

anyone whose driven Summit Main will get a kick out of this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wouzmFz_hkQ

[Hallen]

you can practice offline as much as you want with the content you purchased but there's no AI to "race" with. iracing is more of a simulation than a game. where it simply outshines every other sim is in the accuracy and realism of the tracks. they 3d laser scan every track. i've driven quite a few of the east coast tracks it has and the accuracy is amazing. far better than rfactor. As for rating, as much as a pita that is, it's what keeps the place from being a free for all. The safer you drive, the more license levels you will get and be eligible to participate in more series.

anyone whose driven Summit Main will get a kick out of this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wouzmFz_hkQ

Yes, about the offline stuff, thanks for clarifying that. I didn't write that very well.

I know where iRacing is going with the stuff and it isn't a bad idea. We'll see how it goes. They are adding a lot of content very quickly. That is not a bad thing. I will be very interested if they introduce the Portland track. It is the only one I have driven so far. It would be nice to see how well they model it.

I still think they have some physics problems. Although that might be because if the very limited changes you are allowed to make to most of the setups on the basic cars.

I also hate the way the brakes work and find it very difficult to be consistent and to modulate the brakes. I have real world experience with this and I find that LFS does a better job in general. And honestly, a lot of the LFS tracks are a lot more interesting to drive than the real world tracks out there in sim land. I do love having real tracks though. It makes watching ALMS racing a lot more interesting when you know a little bit what going through that corner is like and where the tricky sections of the track are at.

[Wiglaf]

I bought the 360 wheel and forza2 last night. Nice game, I hopelessly suck at it though.

Really I thought I would be better at this after going through a 24hrs of lemons session and a season or two of autocross. The wheel is pretty cool, force feedback definitely helps steering.. but in game i have no sense of momentum. Every turn i skid off the course. I guess I just need to practce, I mastered a few other race games w/ the regular controller.

I have no basis of comparison for the wheel other than a non-force feedback peice of crap i used w/ a playstation once.. but I was kind of expecting a higher magnitude of force, and the wheel could stand to be a few more inches in diameter. It works well though.

are there any e30's in forza2? I thought I heard mention of it, maybe that was just forza1. I see an e36 available to buy.

[JGood]

anyone whose driven Summit Main will get a kick out of this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wouzmFz_hkQ

That is awesome!

[kishg]

Yes, about the offline stuff, thanks for clarifying that. I didn't write that very well.

I know where iRacing is going with the stuff and it isn't a bad idea. We'll see how it goes. They are adding a lot of content very quickly. That is not a bad thing. I will be very interested if they introduce the Portland track. It is the only one I have driven so far. It would be nice to see how well they model it.

I still think they have some physics problems. Although that might be because if the very limited changes you are allowed to make to most of the setups on the basic cars.

I also hate the way the brakes work and find it very difficult to be consistent and to modulate the brakes. I have real world experience with this and I find that LFS does a better job in general. And honestly, a lot of the LFS tracks are a lot more interesting to drive than the real world tracks out there in sim land. I do love having real tracks though. It makes watching ALMS racing a lot more interesting when you know a little bit what going through that corner is like and where the tricky sections of the track are at.

I come at it from a different perspective. for me, iracing is a means of practicing real world tracks that i drive on in real life. agree about the setup issues but they are working on those and with the more advanced cars, you can set them up. i find the physics to be ok but the track realism is excellent imo. which car did you drive? rookie solstice?

[JPE30]

Richard Burns Rally

With that crazy Logitech FFB Wheel + shifter combo

This was a friends setup and was amazing, most realistic rally game ever.

[Wiglaf]

revision 1, shitty cellphone pics.








don't mind the mess, was too busy racing to deal with it.

[kishg]

haha.. i should take some pics of my setup.. nice dog. lab?

[Hallen]

revision 1, shitty cellphone pics.

don't mind the mess, was too busy racing to deal with it.

That would never work for me unless you had lag bolts running half the way up those 2x4's. I would rip those legs right off. I have ripped my wheel off of my desk before and I suspect the legs on your rig would require a lot more bracing. :)

[Wiglaf]

That would never work for me unless you had lag bolts running half the way up those 2x4's. I would rip those legs right off. I have ripped my wheel off of my desk before and I suspect the legs on your rig would require a lot more bracing. :)

lol
they are just drywall screws but it works. I have plans to put in some triangle pieces to fill in the angles and reduce flex but it's really not that flimsy.
I hate the wheel clamp tho, going to attach the wheel directly to wood somehow.